When it comes to food, the rainy, cold, dreary and overcast days this time of year mean something special — it's time for some soup.

“Now (that) it's cedar season, people order more of the soups,” said Naomi Pacheco, a lead server at Asia Kitchen, 1739 SW Loop 410 near Marbach Road. “I don't know if it's just psychological, but depending on how hot you order it, people say it helps them clear their sinuses. That's what we're here for — to help them and make their tummies happy.”

Sometimes, a big, steaming bowl of soup is the cure for a blah winter day or a nice way to soothe the day any time of year.

One of Asia Kitchen's most popular soups, the Tom Kai, includes coconut milk, and it's a classic Thai hot and sour soup. A similar soup without the coconut milk is called the Tom Yum.

“We have a joke among the servers. We say it's soup season,” Pacheco added. “Our bowls are not lightweight.”

Naturally, we're talking about either making some good soup, or going to restaurants that make them well.

Usually, making good soup seems to be a matter of letting a big pot of something wonderful simmer for hours. That's certainly one way to make some soups, but there are plenty of good ones that don't require that kind of attention in the kitchen.

Today, we're featuring recipes for five great hearty soups from around the world from local restaurants, most of which have been satisfying customers for years.

One of those is that wonderful Thai soup from Asia Kitchen. Like many Asian dishes, the Tom Kai takes a little while to get all the ingredients prepared and ready, but the cooking time goes quickly.

Then there's a fairly recent arrival on the menu at Sea Island, the longtime local seafood mainstay with multiple locations.

It's a fish caldo, and it joined the menu about a year ago.

If you're making it at home, it comes together quickly enough to make a good weekday dinner.

“San Antonio is a great city for caldo, and it's been received very well,” said Simmons Allison, Sea Island's operating partner and food and beverage chairman.

“We sell our caldo year-round, but we certainly sell it more during the cold weather months.”

There's also an Italian classic, pasta e fagioli, from the Paesanos location in Lincoln Heights, 555 E. Basse Road. (By the way, fagioli is pronounced fah-JOOL). It's one of those soups that is great freshly cooked and even better the next day. That is, if there's anything left.

Of course, no list of hearty soups in this town would be complete without something from a Mexican establishment.

Restaurateur Blanca Aldaco shares her recipe for a hearty caldo tlalpeño from her Stone Oak location, 20079 Stone Oak Blvd. Some chipotles help add a good kick to this one.

Then there's a dynamic newcomer to the local restaurant scene, Lüke, 125 E. Houston St. Its matzo ball soup may seem an unusual addition to a French/German brasserie with Texas overtones, but one taste of this goodness proves it belongs on any menu.

Visit the restaurants and enjoy a cup or bowl, or clip the recipes that these restaurants generously shared and make a good-sized batch for the family.